Smile for Me
by kazukomichiko7789
Summary: Even a shark like Erik Lehnsherr can have his moments, as least when Charles Xavier is involved.


Having had a life that never contained much stability, Erik Lehnsherr was very fond of his routine nightly meetings for chess with a certain blue-eyed mutant.

Sticking closely to the schedule that the pair had unintentionally worked themselves into, Erik made his way in the direction of Charles' study after his share of the dinner chores had been taken care of; tonight had been his turn to wash the dishes. Having been the one assigned to make dinner that night, Charles had already fulfilled his obligations and had retreated to the study early, no doubt to set up the game and prepare the scotch that he always made a point to bring out for the matches, saying the he'd meet Erik there.

As he walked toward the study, it took great conscious effort to make sure that his step did not appear as enthused as he always felt when getting ready for a chess match with Charles, lest any of the nosey teenage mutants catch him. If was still a bit unnerving how familiar Erik had become with Charles in the past few months of their partnership and Erik did not quite yet particularly care to admit to himself how fond he had grown for the mind-reader, much less did he want the younger ones to take notice of the matter. Such revelations would more than likely be at the expense of any small amount of respect he had gained from them, or maybe it was fear. Still, Erik Lehnsherr's growing affection for Charles Xavier was his own business, not that of a group of prying teens.

Shifting the door open once he reached his destination, Erik blinked in brief confusion at neither seeing his telepath friend sitting in his usual chair with his usual appallingly cheerful grin plastered over his face nor standing by the drink cabinet, still with the trademark smile. Stepping inside for a closer inspection, however, revealed that Charles Xavier had curled up and nodded off on the couch, the preset game and untouched glasses of scotch left abandoned on the table.

Erik could hardly blame the younger man for being so worn out; Erik himself was notably tired after the day's training exercises and he had only been working on his own abilities whereas Charles had no doubt rotated his time to assist every one of his guests with their training before surely working to advance his telepathy. Erik had already worked out in his mind weeks ago that Charles was the type to overexert himself far beyond his limitations if he thought that it was for the greater good of anyone other than himself. He was simply made of a selflessness that Erik could never hope to understand, much less match.

Shaking the thoughts from his head and walking over to face the sight of those peaceful features etched into the creamy pale face in front of him, Erik felt something inside him shift. It seemed almost uncanny that, after all the wickedness and hatred that he had been forced to surround himself with in his life, he could be graced with something so beautiful and perfect and innocent and anything and everything else that encompassed that which is Charles. It isn't until he hears the shift of Charles curling further into the couch with a not quite so subtle shiver that Erik is pulled out of his reverie.

Stepping away from the couch for a moment to grab a large, soft quilt, Erik knew that he would later feel embarrassed for his uncharacteristic actions but he couldn't bring himself to leave Charles in obvious discomfort for the sake of saving face. A move of selfishness like that would be harder to live down that a simple act of kindness when Charles was concerned. The fact that the blue-eyed man made Erik care so much about how the telepath viewed him was another matter that set Erik's teeth on edge, but it didn't make him try any less to ensure that Charles was happy.

Setting the blanket over the shaking form carefully, Erik silently hopped that the gesture would serve to alleviate the noticeable chill that was plaguing his associate, not that he would admit to those feelings in the morning.

As soon as the cover settles into place, Erik sees Charles shift down comfortably into the sheet, using a pale hand to clutch it closely to him with a small smile that Erik can't help returning, even is Charles can't see it. After another short moment, Charles moved around again as he takes more notice of Erik's presence and blinks before aiming a tired gaze up in his direction.

"Erik," Charles mumbled sleepily, his eyes as impossibly bright and blue as ever, though slightly glazed from exhaustion, and the small smile that had been tugging at his lips morphing into that all-out grin that Erik has become too accustomed to as he gazed at his company. "I'm afraid that I'm going to have to cancel our matches for the night, if it's not to much of a bother to you," he manages to murmur sheepishly, voice thick with fatigue, before being overtaken by a encompassing yawn that Erik can't think of as anything other than adorable. Once recovered, Charles sluggishly released his grip on the blanket and moves his had out toward Erik, silently pleading with his too blue eyes for Erik to join him.

Erik knew that he could try to refuse Charles' request, he could try to keep up his uncaring, collected, and impersonal demeanor and walk out without a word as he would do if he was faced with anyone else but he also knew that all afforest as such would be in vain. He knew full well that he would give Charles what he wanted as long as it allows him to keep seeing that smile that Charles wears so well. Even knowing that someone such as himself, someone so full of darkness, does not, in the slightest, deserve to have such a care-free and trusting smile turned in his direction could never have saved him from being drawn in by it.

With a sigh, Erik allowed himself to take Charles' hand in his own and moved to lift Charles' head carefully from the cushions. Settling himself exactly in the spot that the telepath's head had previously been occupying and placing a no doubt expensive pillow against his legs, he laid Charles back down onto his lap, their hands still joined together. Charles lets out a more than contented sigh and hums happily as he turned his face into Erik's stomach and nuzzled himself deep into the pillow as the grip in his fingers tightened slightly and almost possisively, letting himself slip back into whatever peaceful sleep Erik had roused him from.

Another soft smile pulling the corners of his mouth up, Erik left their fingers entwined together and shifts his free hand to push Charles surprisingly, or maybe not so much, soft bangs back, reveling in the way that the man turned slightly into the touch. He repeats the action once, twice, and again before he realizes that he his petting a grown man. Still, he can't bring himself to cease the disturbingly intimate show of affection. He continues the ministrations until he follows Charles and drifts off into a blissfully dreamless sleep, one hand in Charles', another buried in Charles' soft hair, and not even noticing how even Charles' thoughts had begun to coyly weave themselves into Erik's own. Thinking back on the matter at a later and more coherent point, though, he remains doubtful that he would have minded the fact much, if at all, in that particular moment. He wouldn't have minded much of anything, so long as it managed to keep that godforsaken smile on Charles' lips


End file.
